Leaves That Never Wither
by Frib
Summary: Some leaves never wither... Ch 3 is up... Two of Naruto's dreams are fulfilled in one day or night... ... --- NaruHina - SasuSaku - currently NaruSaku
1. Chapter 1 The Beginning

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, and I have used several lines from the manga (which I love BTW!) and don't own either**.

This story is placed right after the Valley of the End fight…

Enjoy…

**Chapter 1 – The Beginning**

His instructions had been surprisingly simple and he had followed them exactly as he was told, but as the first night of his mission came to an end he felt uneasy. It was not unease at the mission or his current status, but at what he was forced to do to the people closest to him. "I had to," he told himself looking down at his own legs stretched before him on the uncomfortable cot that was to be his bed for the time being, "They cannot come after me." He felt an unfamiliar sense of overwhelming emotion as his eyes started to water. He shook his head angrily, 'NO!' his mind screamed. He forced himself to forget the events of past week and plan for anything that may occur in the next few days. After a while, he lay down and forced himself to rest.

As Sasuke's eyes closed for the last time that night he was no longer in Orochimaru's hideout, he was somewhere else; somewhere he did not want to be. The breeze hitting his body was not strong but enough to make the trees sway slightly, and the full moon was shining brightly over the path he walked. His body was no longer his as his motions were predetermined and could not be altered. Several moments with his eyes down on the ground could not prepared him for what he knew he was about to encounter again. 'Sakura!' He looked up at the pink haired girl trying to block his escape.

"Get out of here… and go back to bed." He tried to be mean about it; it made leaving easier. He told her how he would never be like her or Naruto and that she should not go after him. He was trying to save her with his cruelty, and she was trying save him with her love. 'The mission,' he told himself as he walked past her.

As Sakura expressed the emotions that both of them had secretly known but kept quiet over the years, Sasuke's defenses were shattered. He tried one last vain attempt to walk away, but Sakura threatened to scream. The utter desperation in her voice was the most heart-breaking thing Sasuke had heard, but he had made up his mind and knew he had no choice. In a flash, he was behind Sakura. "Thank you," were the last words he knew he would speak to her in a long time, if ever. He struck her, against every want in his body save the mission, with the gentlest blow he could and she fell to the floor. He picked up her body, it felt weightless in the moment, and placed it softly on a bench.

He looked down at her body, she looked like a someone waiting to be rescued from some terrible tradgedy. There was a sudden urge in both the real Sasuke and the Sasuke in the dream to stay, to remain with Sakura. He bent down and kissed her on her oversized forehead. He stood up to take one last look at her, to remember her face; something to get him through the mission. 'NO! One more moment! Please!' the real Sasuke screamed, but the world of his dream remained quiet as he turned and left the village.

His body shot up as he awoke. That dream had felt like hours, but the candle burning by his bed told him that only a few minutes had passed. Sasuke let his body fall back down to rest, 'I need to rest, I need all my senses for this mission.' He forced Sakura from his mind as best he could and again went to sleep.

Once again he opened his eyes to a place he did not want to be. The water underneath his feet, the red glow of the sun just about to set behind the statue of Uchiha Madara; he was in the Valley of the End in the middle of his fight with Naruto. The battle had been fierce, and Sasuke, even in his dreams, could feel the severe toll that his body had taken. He tried to tell Naruto, he tried so hard to tell him, what he was trying to do. That he was trying to save him. "You can only read inside each other's minds when your fists meet. Can you read the true mind? MY MIND!?" Naruto, bloody and tired, stood his ground, but it seemed that he had lost his will. Not his will to fight, but his will to fight back; like he was in a deep concentration that did not involve the fight. Sasuke knew that if Naruto decided to fight at full power it might ruin his mission, or at the worst, one of them might die. He had to take this chance. He picked Naruto up by his neck and pierced his right lung with his hand. Faking a laugh, he seemed disappointed, "You prevented me from hitting your heart at the last moment…" he lied. Sasuke hoped that that would be enough to stop Naruto, enough to show him that if he came after him again Naruto would surely die at his hands. But that did not turn out how Sasuke had planned. He was tossed back as Naruto's body was engulfed with red chakra. The entire valley was bathed in red and the water, which looked more like the blood spilt from a fierce battle of many men, was trembling violently. "SASUKE!" Naruto's eyes were no longer his own, they were the eyes of a monster, of something that would acheive his only objective at any costs. Blood was dripping from both their hands. "YOU WON'T GO TO OROCHIMARU!"

This was too much for Sasuke's mind to replay. His body shot up again, but this time it was drenched in sweat. Everything seemed to happen so fast, almost in an instant, but the candle by his bed had burnt out. Sasuke leaned over his bed and reached into his bag. He knew exactly where it was, what he had to see. He pulled out the picture of Team 7, the picture that he told himself he would not look at until he returned. He could barely see the picture in the darkness of the cold, shadowy room, but he did not need to see the picture with his eyes to know what it looked like. He held it in front of him only long enough for his eyes to become adjusted to the little bit of light. As the image came into view, the pain of his dreams became real. He quickly folded the picture up and lay back in his wet bed. He would sleep no more that first night.

* * *

When Naruto awoke, he instantly wished he was back asleep again. The pain he was in was like nothing he had ever experienced, like no fight or battle he had ever been in. He was wrapped in bandages from head to toe and the only part of his body that could move without pain were his eyes, but without the ability to move his head his sight was very limited. He looked up at the ceiling wondering how long he would be in the hospital, but as he unconsciously shifted his weight in the bed a sudden shot of pain ran through his body and he moaned in agony. 

This was the first sound Sakura had heard from Naruto in three days. She rose from her chair next to the bed and bent over Naruto. His line of sight had not permitted him to see her in the chair and he did not know she was there, but the sight of her seemed to lessen the pain in his body. They stared into each others eyes for a long silence until Naruto attempted to break it. Fighting through the immense pain of moving his mouth, he managed to mumble something resembling, "Sakura-chan…"

Sakura's face looked like a mix of pity and happiness. A soft smile crossed her face as she lifted one finger to her lips. "Shhh…" she quietly gestured. Naruto thought he could almost read Sakura's thoughts through her eyes, and whatever she would say he would already know. She spoke softly, "Naruto, you must be in a lot of pain, so please don't speak. I am so happy you are back." Neither broke the eye contact. After a while Sakura sat back in her chair, and neither spoke the rest of the day.

The next morning, Sakura opened Naruto's door to see him awake and sitting up in his bed, the bandages removed from his head. "Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted her with enthusiasm. She turned around and softly closed the door as she had become accustomed to in the past few days; she remained looking at the closed door. Sakura was not expecting Naruto to be awake, and she was worried that all the things she had wanted to say to him would spill out in a flood of words. She took a deep breath and walked to the bed.

Naruto was overcome with conflicting emotions; guilt, happiness, excitement, pain. Despite all these, he had waited with extreme anticipation for Sakura and could not hide it. There was a smile on Sakura's face as she walked to him with her eyes on the bed, but Naruto noticed that this was not the same smile as the one he had seen the day before. This one looked forced, or scared, as if breaking the smile would cause both of them serious harm. "Naruto… I…" Sakura paused mid-sentence; she didn't know where to start. Her eyes moved slowly from the bed to Naruto's eyes. They seemed to be waiting, waiting to hear what she had to say, to console the pain that was hidden in her words. Sakura's face seemed to light up, and Naruto could sense that the forced smile had been replaced by a sincere one. "How do you feel Naruto?" She remained standing next to the bed.

Naruto let out a little laugh, "I'm fine Sakura-chan, doesn't hurt a bit… OWW!" A short scream of pain escaped his mouth as he tried to raise his hands into the air. He put his hands back into his lap and smiled, "Well… maybe I'll be a few more days in here."

Sakura laughed and sat down in the chair. She leaned over and, without thinking, placed her hands on Naruto's. It was not pain but a shock that was sent thought Naruto's body. The feeling of Sakura's hands on his was like a sudden chill that blazed with a wanted, needed burn; a burn that sustained him and pained him at the same time. Naruto looked down at Sakura's hand on his own and the shock faded, replaced by the warm, soft feeling of her skin. "Oh!" Sakura quickly pulled her hand into her lap; she looked embarrassed, "I'm sorry." She didn't know what prompted her to do that.

Naruto stared for a moment at the spot where both his and Sakura's hands had rested together before moving his gaze back to Sakura, "It's ok, Sakura-chan." The thought of what had just happened left his mind as his eyes closed halfway and he thought only of what he had wanted to say to her since he woke, "I'm sorry I couldn't bring Sasuke back."

"NARUTO!" She was stunned at the sudden confession. Her initial shock came from the mention of Sasuke's name, but three days with an unconscious Naruto had given her time to partially accept that Sasuke was not coming back. As she overcame her initial shock, she was still stunned that Naruto would apologize for what had happened. Sakura's mind raced with repeated thoughts, 'The intense battle that he must have been in... lying unconscious for days… and he apologizes… NO! HE CAN'T APOLOGIZE FOR THAT!' "NO!" She screamed out. Her sudden outburst forced Naruto's eyes to widen and seemed to echo off the walls as if they were alone in a deep cave. Her hands reached out to his again and her eyes started to water, "Don't apologize…" Sakura's head fell to the floor and Naruto could hear her crying softly as she repeated her words over and over again.

Sakura could hear Naruto softly calling her name, but she could do nothing but cry; she did not want to look at him. Naruto was apologizing for the one thing that she had asked him to do, the one thing that meant so much to her and it had caused him so much pain; she couldn't bear it. A sudden anger ripped thought Sakura and she stood up. "DON'T APOLIGIZE! IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!!!" Tears were streaming down her face but she looked mad, like she was looking at someone who had wronged her horribly. Her words seemed like they could be heard across the entire hospital, but Naruto had a strange feeling that he was the only one that could really hear them. "IT'S MY FAULT! IT'S HIS FAULT! IT'S NOT…" she paused and fell across Naruto, her arms encircled around his bandaged body, squeezing softly. There was a sharp, sudden pain, but it quickly disappeared; "It's not your fault Naruto…" she whispered into his ear, "I'm so sorry." Sakura cried softly on top of Naruto's body for a long while.

The pain of Sakura on his body started to return to Naruto after a while, but he made no attempts to force her off. He knew that this was not a desire to feel her body on his, but a desire to make her feel better, to be her shoulder to cry on, her friend. When she finally released him and stood up he let out an inaudible cry of pain. Sakura wiped away the last of her tears as she sat back down. The two looked at each other as if they were speaking, now with their words but with their thoughts. "It's ok, Sakura-chan," Naruto finally spoke.

Sakura could see those eyes again. She felt like those eyes could take a part of her that hurt, that pained her, and make it disappear forever. She looked away; she did not deserve them. "Naruto…" Sakura knew that Sasuke was right, "please don't go after Sasuke again." She was not saying this for Sasuke, but for herself; for her own need to never see Naruto in so much pain becuase of her selfish desires.

Naruto's eyes turned away from Sakura and fell down to his hands on his lap, "Sakura-chan… I went after Sasuke just as much for myself as for you." As Sakura looked at Naruto's eyes they seemed to slowly lose the quality she had seen, like he could take her pain away, but do nothing about his own. "He is…" Naruto paused, he had been afraid to admit this for the longest time. He had never been sure of this feeling and, although his fight with Sasuke had revealed it to both of them, he was now more unsure than ever. "He is my best friend…" his eyes remained on his own hands.

* * *

Over the next two weeks, Sakura would spend the entire day at Naruto's bedside. They would talk of random things: past missions, hospital food, future plans, but the topic of Sasuke was never brought up. Naruto's body had healed quite rapidly and soon he was able to move around quite easily. The two would take leisure walks around the hospital as Sakura would explain what was going on around the village. One day while walking Sakura asked, "Did I tell you that Shikamaru is going to the Village hidden in the Sand?" Naruto looked at her and raised his eyebrows, "No? Oh there's no mission, he's just going there for a week or so. I think he's going to see that Temari girl." 

"That mean ass girl from the Sand Village?" Naruto spoke without taking his eyes off of Sakura; the two had walked the path so many times he did not need to look ahead. "Figures Shikamaru would like a girl like that. Someone to tell him what to do all the time and make him say 'What a pain." He tried in vain to sound like Shikamaru.

The two laughed loudly. Sakura's eyes were still closed from laughing as she asked, "Hey Naruto, who do you like?" She had not meant to ask this and for some strange reason her laughter seemed to fade quickly.

"Huh?" Naruto asked as his own laughter faded, "Oh well, I guess I've never thought about it. I mean…" he looked awkwardly at Sakura, who luckily wasn't looking back at him, and then back at the path, "I don't know."

Sakura did not seem to notice Naruto's awkwardness at the matter and continued on, "Hmm… what about Tenten…" she looked at Naruto. His eyes remained on the floor. "No, that just wouldn't work out for you, would it? Well, there's Ino-pig…" she smiled, "No, you're too cute for a pig like her, huh? Ooooh, what about Hinata? She cute…" there was a pause as she looked for the right words, "… in her own quiet, um, shy sort of way."

Naruto had never really thought about any other girl in the village except Sakura. He had spent most of the last few years with her and Sasuke. Of all the female ninja in the village, the only other one he had a connection with was Hinata; and their connection was not something that he considered romantic. His eyes still on the floor he finally spoke, "There are other girls in the village, right?" His words seemed reaching.

"Well yeah…" she did not take the hint in Naruto's question, "there are other girls, but would you be happy with someone who's not a ninja? Someone who doesn't share the excitement that you do? I mean, the only other young female ninja in the village…" she stopped walking. Naruto did not notice until he was several step in front of her, he turned back to see a smile on her face, "is me…" He knew that she had understood what he had meant and he looked back at her expecting to be turned down, to be told that there was no chance, to be hurt. The smile on Sakura's face seemed to grow, "Naruto… very funny." Naruto smiled against his will; she didn't get it.

* * *

It took only a short time for Naruto and Sakura to become almost inseparable. After leaving the hospital, the two spent almost all thier time together and their relationship grew from friendship to near dependence on each other. The day soon came, however, when Naruto was to leave with Jiraya to train. Saying good bye without crying was the best Sakura could hope for when she knocked on his door in the early morning of his departure. As Naruto opened the door Sakura jumped and wrapped her arms around him, "Naruto… good bye…" was all she could muster as she released him and ran out the door. As he watched her run from him he understood; it made it easier for both of them. As her body finally faded from view Naruto thought to himself that he was glad that nothing romantic had sprung from his relationship with Sakura as it may have stopped him from leaving. He couldn't help but wonder though, 'What could have happened..." He walked back inside. 

Naruto finished packing his bag and quickly looked around his room. "I'm ready," he spoke outloud to no one. He turned and opened his door to leave. Standing outside his door, to his surprise, was Hinata with her hands outstretched holding a small container. Naruto paused as Hinata stood there, not like a human, but as a statue presenting a victor of some great struggle with a grand prize. "Hin….Hinata?" He closed the door behind him.

Hinata's arms shook violently, but they remained outstretched. "For…for…your injuries…" were the only words that Naruto would hear from her. He took the container from her hands and looked at it carefully. Before he had a chance to thank her, she had already run from sight. 'How strange,' Naruto thought.

* * *

As Naruto returned to the village Hidden in the Leaves he was overwhelmed. After three years of training he was finally home. Every step he took inside the village gates was special and every person he saw was like a brother he had not seen in a long time. As he walked the streets he couldn't help but notice the people around him. He didn't know these people too well, but he could tell how their once familiar faces had changed over the years. He walked through the village for a while before he heard a familiar voice behind him, "Welcome back, Naruto…" it was the voice he had be waiting to hear. 

In the past two years he had begun to notice more and more of the female sex and had begun to appreciate the image of Sakura he had kept in his mind. "Sakura-chan…" he spoke as he turned and looked at her, two years older and even more stunning than he had remembered. He could tell that she was taller now, but still just a little shorter than he was. Her pink hair was longer than before, falling just below the back of her neck, and her bangs were pulled back under her ears. The green eyes that he had not seen in three years were sharper, and they looked as if they could predict not only his next actions, but his next words as well. Her suit too had changed, but not much. Her red dress was more form fitting over her slender body, and the zipper was pulled down just far enough to provide a teasing glimpse of her well developed breasts. The bottom of her dress fell to well above her knees and had been cropped so that the front and side of her right leg were fully exposed, revealing her short black shorts and her legs in all their glory. Naruto stood with his eyes wide.

He wanted so badly to wrap his arms around her body, but before he could move her arms were wrapped around him, "I've really missed you, Naruto." He did not expect to hear these words from her, but as he looked into her smiling face he knew the words were sincere. The two walked around the city until the sun had set. Naruto told Sakura about his training and Sakura informed Naruto of the things he had missed while he was gone and about her training under Tsunade. When the moon had risen and the village was dark the two were still walking. Sakura had finally seemed to notice the change, "Naruto, it's dark. I should get home." He had been listening to her speak for over an hour and simply nodded, "I'm glad your back. Good night." She quickly leaned in and kissed Naruto on the cheek before turning and walking away.

Naruto hoped that this kiss meant something. But as he continued walking, he couldn't help but think that it was nothing more then a show of affection between very good friends. He walked home holding his cheek and unlocked his door. "Naruto-kun……" An unfamiliar, yet very familiar voice spoke out from the shadows.

The voice had startled him and he turned around quickly, ready to attack. "Who is that? Hinata?" he dropped his arms as she stepped shyly into the moonlight. He had not seen her in two years, and this was not the same girl he had remembered. "Hin….Hinata…" he looked up and down her body. He was at a sudden loss for words. As little as he had noticed Hinata, he could tell she had changed greatly. The moonlight shined off her long dark hair that reached the small of her back as her bang fell to her shoulders. She was wearing a tight black shirt and black pants, both of which seemed to cling to her, not like clothing but skin. The light of the moon accentuated every curve of her body as she stood before him, a dark silhouette of something he could never even dream of. He could see her eyes looking down; they were as wide as he remembered, but it struck him that he had never looked Hinata in the eyes before. There was a sudden urge in his body, to touch her, to feel her body on his. This was not what he felt when he wanted to hold Sakura, this was a desire that he so desperately needed to fulfill. He tried to reach out but his arms refused to move. He remained still, hoping this image could remain in his mind forever.

"I just… um…" Hinata's eyes were on the floor. Her body shook as her eyes made their way up Naruto's body. As they reached his eyes staring back at her she let out a gasp, "I'm glad you're back…" she spoke the words in quick succession before turning and running off. Naruto remained planted where he stood watching Hinata run from him. With each step Hinata took, Naruto's urge grew stronger. As she disappeared, his body seemed free to move again; the urge was gone.

Naruto pushed open his door and placed his bag on the dirty floor. He wanted nothing more than to sleep in his own bed for the first time in a long time. Sitting on his bed he reached into his bag and removed a picture that he had looked at every night for the past two years. He put the picture of Team 7 on the table next to his bed. He took a long look at the younger versions of his friends and sensei. Finally, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Next Chapter: Chapter 2: The End of the Mission

_In case anyone is wondering, Sasuke's two dream scenes are pulled directly from manga chapters 181 and 226 respectively, so if you need any insight to what was mentioned you should check them out. _

_Read... review... enjoy..._


	2. Chapter 2 The End of the Mission

**Disclaimer**: Nah man... I don't own Naruto...

_Graven Image: Thanks for being the first review... very appreciated as always..._

**Chapter 2 – The End of the Mission**

Over three years, Sasuke had changed dramatically; unknown to anyone. It was not his body or the sound ninja clothing that he had adopted, nor was it the large increase in his power or skills; these had been very noticeable to the few that had seen his progress. Inside, the emotions that he had been forced to hide had almost disappeared and he had long since realized that he was slowly losing the ability to show any emotion at all. After years of training and growing under Orochimaru, the power that he had gained had almost corrupted him and ruined the mission. The change had been so great that he had been forced to remind himself a number of times of his true purpose.

He sat in his cot this night looking at the deteriorated, almost unrecognizable picture of Team 7 that he had not viewed in well over a year. The names of the others in the picture ran through his head; they meant almost nothing. The picture no longer served the purpose that he had intended, but now only reminded him of his mission: to kill Orochimaru. 'This could have been done long ago,' he thought to himself, 'Why have I not completed this mission?' The answer to the question was known before he had asked it.

He had been forced to frequently move to new hideouts with Orochimaru and Kabuto. There were several in each country and upon each visit Kabuto would explain the layout to Sasuke only once. Each hideout was built for a sole purpose, no matter how large or small in size. Their current location was one that Sasuke had been in only once near the beginning of the mission and he knew its purpose: this would be where Orochimaru would try to take his body. The hideout was very large but consisted of only 5 safe rooms: A master chamber for Orochimaru and two rooms for Sasuke and Kabuto, a large, blood filled pit, and a small infirmary with only one bed; every other room had been booby trapped to release poisonous gas to its imprisoned entrant.

Sasuke could hear the footsteps coming down the hallway; they were very soft, but he had been expecting them. He continued to look at the picture in his hands. 'Now is the time,' he thought as he took the picture into his left hand and let it drop to his side. He waited as the footsteps neared and his door opened. Orochimaru opened the door and took only two steps into his room. 'He knows.'

* * *

Naruto awoke in the morning to the sun shining through his windows. He could faintly hear the bustle of the busy village below his apartment and sat up in his bed enjoying the once familiar sounds that he had not heard in so long. He walked to the balcony and rubbed his eyes before looking up into the sun and stretching his arms. He let out a loud yawn, 'This is the first time the sun has risen before I have in so long,' he let his arms fall to his side lazily as he recalled the countless dark mornings that he was so used to opening his eyes to. 'I can stand to sleep a little longer,' he thought as he walked to his bed and fell face first on his pillows. He had barely closed his eyes again as he heard knocking coming from his front door. He turned his head to the side and yelled, "GO AWAY!" He had never in his life wanted to sleep just a moment longer. 

The knocking turned to pounding and Naruto thought that whoever was at his door was about to break it down. He pushed himself up and off the bed and proceeded slowly and drowsily towards the door. The pounding was becoming louder and louder as he approached. Naruto opened his door and let out a large yawn, blurring his eyes for a moment. Had it not been for the uniqueness of the pink hair, he would not have been able to make out the visitor. "Oh, good morning Sakura-chan…" He could not make out the look on her face, but he noticed was that she was not moving.

Sakura stood transfixed looking at Naruto from head to toe. He stood in front of her with nothing on but a pair of white sleeping shorts with the picture of a smiling toad face on the crotch. Although she had spent most of the previous day with him, it was not until this one moment that she realized that this was not the Naruto she had remembered. No, the short, blonde haired boy that made ugly faces and uttered loud, random nonsense was not the person standing in front of her. Holding the door open in front of her eyes was a man. No, not a man, but a human sculpture that had been carefully carved by three years of intense training. He was just a little taller than she was and his frame was small, but covered in muscles. His arms and legs were not large, but it seemed that the muscular tissue was so present that there was no room for bones in his limbs. His chest did not protrude from his body, but gave Sakura the distinct impression that no matter how hard she struck it, it would not be harmed. As her eyes examined every part of his body, as if she was planning her next move, they came to rest finally on his stomach, a well carved 8-pac that looked like it would cut your hand if you ran it across. Sakura thought that had she been forced to explain a flaw in the image before her, she would have been at a loss for words. Had her face not been pink already, this idea would have made her blush. She did not mean to, but a shy giggle escaped her lips as she pulled the green folder she was holding into her chest with both hands.

Naruto rubbed his eyes and the image of Sakura blushing in front of him became clear. "What?" He was confused for a moment until he looked down at his own body. Finally realizing that he was almost completely nude he nearly tripped over his own feet as he stepped back and hid all but his head behind the partially closed door. He let out an embarrassed laugh, 'SHIT!', his mind yelled.

Sakura tried to regain her composure. She let her hands drop down and tried to remove the little girl smile that had covered her face. When she spoke her voice seemed shy and very high pitched, "I… I just… ahem…" she cleared her throat and finally regained the use of her normal voice, "I just wanted to see if you wanted to get some lunch." The pink in her cheeks was almost gone.

Naruto stood behind the door and spoke the first words that came to mind, "Yeah, sure…" He closed the door and turned to walk to his room. He stopped as a thought darted across his mind, 'Did you see the way she looked at you?' he asked himself. As the sudden shock of Sakura seeing almost all of his body faded, he thought that he could have a little fun with the situation. 'She's seen it all already, right?' He turned and opened the door. Sakura had been expecting to wait and had her eyes closed, letting the images of what she had just seen replay in her mind with a smile of what could only be described as pure ecstasy displayed openly on her face. The sound of the door opening brought her out of her daze and she looked wide eyed at Naruto holding the door open with nothing but the white undershorts and a smile on his face, "I'm sorry Sakura-chan. You don't have to wait outside." He stepped to the side to let her in. For one brief moment Sakura did not move, she stood there debating whether she should enter or not. She stepped into the apartment very cautiously, and as she walked past Naruto she tried her hardest to keep her body as far away from his as she could; had her body brushed against Naruto's in this moment she feared she would lose all control. As she pulled past him, she sat on the couch and inhaled deeply, "I'll just be a second." Naruto closed the front door and walked across the couch and into his bedroom, laughing loudly inside his head. Sakura did not dare look at him as he walked away and felt safe to move her head only when she heard the bedroom door close. Slowly, Sakura's shock diminished, 'It was nothing, we're just friends' she kept repeating to herself. When Naruto finally opened his door she was herself again, forcing herself to not picture what she had just seen when she looked at him. The two walked out the front door and into the streets.

* * *

Orochimaru stood at the door with an evil smile on his face, "Sasuke, why do you look at that picture? You knew you would never see them again." There was no sense of surprise in his voice at this revelation. 

Sasuke did not move. Any other ninja would have trembled uncontrollably at the callous in his voice, but Sasuke simply moved the picture so that he could see it again, "It reminds me of my purpose." His voice was very calm.

Orochimaru let out a hollow laugh from the doorway. The laugh echoed along the hallways of his hideout and within the room that the two were in. "Your purpose? You mean the mission that old bitch gave you?" Sasuke betrayed himself, letting his eyebrows rise for a split second. Orochimaru let out one single all-knowing howl, "Oh yes, I've known all along. Tsunade knows me better than anyone. Leave it to her to use my own obsession to try to stop me." He looked at Sasuke in an almost saddened way, "Too bad… she could have made such better use of your talents." His eyes were locked into Sasuke's; the picture of team 7 remained still and unwavering.

Sasuke struck first. Before Orochimaru could dodge the attack, Sasuke had leapt from his cot, pulled his sword, and sliced through the abdomen of Orochimaru. His movements were so fast that Orchimaru's mouth remained open, stuck in the beginning of a new sentence. The air remained frozen for a moment. Sasuke sheathed his sword as the body slid apart; the two pieces falling in opposite directions. He turned his back to his fallen master with a smile on his face, "Shall we continue?"

There was no sound. Suddenly, Sasuke could hear a rustling noise behind him and he turned around. Orochimaru was standing there; the two pieces of his body as one. The evil smile remained on Orochimaru's face as he spoke in an almost mocking voice, "Certainly." A sword appeared in his mouth and, in one swift movement, the blade extended into Sasuke's chest. Sasuke stood awestruck, looking down at the sword that had entered his body. He fell to his knees as his eyes closed. "Do not act so dramatic Sasuke," Orochimaru's words were very clear despite the sword extending from his mouth, "that was not a lethal strike. What good would you be to me dead?" Sasuke's eyes opened, just as Orochimaru expected. Unexpected, however, was the smile on Sasuke's face. He stood up, sword still penetrating his body, and swung his right hand across the blade; breaking it. The end extending from Orochimaru's mouth was recalled, "Genjutsu, you are so predictable. Such an unattractive quality." Orochimaru goaded.

In a split second, Sasuke pulled the remaining part of the sword from his chest and thrust it into Orochimaru. Orochimaru's mouth opened wide, allowing his new body to escape the unusable shell that had been penetrated; his new body was halfway out when he froze; a look of horror crossing his face. Sasuke could only tell the emotion by the fact that he had never seen this look upon his master's face before. "RELEASE!" Orochimaru tried to keep his voice calm as he pressed his hands together to release the genjutsu. The look of utter horror returned to his face as he looked into Sasuke's eyes; the three tomoe spelling out his demise.

Sasuke walked towards Orochimaru; his upper body trying in vain to crawl out of its shell. Slowly, Sasuke pulled out his sword, allowing his victim to watch its removal inch by inch. "This is your end…" he said with no emotion at all. The motion of his swing and resheath was one fluid movement of finality. As he watched the true image of Orchimaru's body standing upright for a split second while the head rolled along the floor the only feeling he had was that of a mission completed. As the body fell, Sasuke stuffed the Team 7 picture into his bag. He put the bag over his shoulder, stepped over the still bleeding body, and proceeded down the hallway. The infirmary was the last door before the exit. Sasuke opened the door to see Kabuto with his back turned to him, obviously preparing for the body transfer. Sasuke spoke to Kabuto's back, "Orochimaru is dead…" he was prepared for an attack, but as he expected none came; Kabuto simply stopped in his actions, "I have killed him," Sasuke answered Kabuto's unasked question.

Kabuto stood still for a moment before turning slowly. There was a sly smile on his face when he finally spoke, "How did it feel Sasuke-kun? Killing Orochimaru?" There was no anger in his voice, only sheer curiosity. As a light flashed across Kabuto's glasses, Sasuke couldn't help but sense that behind those glasses was something unspeakably evil; something not of this world. Kabuto, however, had nothing to do with him now that his mission was complete.

"I felt nothing." Sasuke did not lie; he had no need to. He turned and walked out; Kabuto did not try to stop him.

* * *

The two friends walked through the streets of the village joking and talking of random things; as if neither the three years of separation nor the awkward scene they had just shared had ever occurred. "Naruto would you mind coming with me to the Hokage's office before we eat? I have to drop something off." Naruto didn't mind at all, he nodded. In fact, he had wanted to see Tsunade since the moment he had stepped into the village. He wanted desperately to go on a mission, to put his years of training to the test. "Don't worry, we'll just be in and out." Sakura remembered the constant fighting between Naruto and the 5th Hokage, 'He's a new man,' she told herself. 

The two stood in front of the Hokage's tower. Naruto was ready to jump to the window of the Hokage's office as he did so many times in his youth, but Sakura, sensing this, quickly opened the door and led Naruto up the spiral staircase that led to the office. Before Sakura knocked on the office door she turned to Naruto, "Behave, Naruto." Her voice was lighthearted and her face implied that this was nothing more than a playful comment, but inside her head she prayed that bringing Naruto here was not a mistake. She straightened her face as she knocked softly on the door.

"Come in," Tsunade's voice did not sound any different than Naruto had remembered; which was probably because, he told himself, she had made herself appear younger yet again. The two entered the Hokage's office and took only two steps inside before Naruto paused. His heart seemed to stop beating as he could sense many figures within the room, but only that his eyes could remain focused on: Hinata Hyuuga. She stood straight and proud in front of the Tsunade's desk, her eyes closed and her head held high. The image he had seen the previous night was not what was portrayed in front of him. It was not only the heavy grayish jacket that she wore that was different; there was just something about the way she looked: confident, strong, unbreakable. "Welcome back, Naruto." Tsunade's voice seemed to travel across the room, her word's only purpose seemed to be to bring him back to reality. "I hope my necklace has brought you more luck than it did me," she laughed. Naruto did not take his eyes off Hinata as he reached into his jacket and pulled out the light blue stone, playing with it absentmindedly between his fingers.

This drew the eyes of everyone in the room save Hinata, whose eyes remained closed. Hiashi and Neji Hyuuga both turned their heads to look at Naruto, both seemed to be conflicted between a sense of increased respect for Naruto and a sense of disappointment in Tsunade. Sakura's eyes grew large as she eyed the stone in Naruto's fingers. She had heard stories of her master Tsunade's most prized possession: the necklace of the 1st Hokage; but she had never felt that she was in a position to ask why she had never seen it. To see it around Naruto's neck was not as stunning as the question, 'Why did Tsunade give it to him?' Sakura quickly remembered where she was and her purpose. Despite her close personal relationship with Tsunade, she knew that within these walls she was to conduct herself with the dignity that being in the presence of the Hokage demanded. She walked to the desk and laid down a single piece of paper from her green folder.

"Thank you Sakura," with these words the eyes that had turned to Naruto were once again on Tsunade, who picked up a pen and signed her name on the paper. She looked up at Hinata who, only Naruto had noticed, had just opened her eyes; he could not help but believe that his presence was the reason her eyes were closed. Inside, the sudden urge that had occured in his last meeting with Hinata returned. As the urge grew an anger grew with it, 'Look at me!' his mind yelled. 'Look at me now!' He did not know why he was suddenly so angry; all he knew was that he wanted her eyes on him more than anything right now. More than going on a mission, more than saving Sasuke, more than being Hokage.

"Hinata, your signature on this paper confirms your status as a Jonin. The responsibilities of protecting and nurturing the Leaf are now yours," Tsunade's words seemed to wait for Naruto's mind to stop screaming, as if she knew he would not be able to hear her over his own thoughts. Naruto, now confused and angry, watched as Hinata nodded and stepped forward to sign the paper. With the signing complete, the three Hyuuga turned to leave the room. Hinata eyes were closed again as she followed her father out of the office. He wanted to rush at her, to grab her and force her to look him in the eyes, but he remained still as the door closed behind Neji. He looked at the back of the door for only a moment, he could feel the urge of his body and the anger in his mind fading quickly.

* * *

Chapter 3 - "Still Untitled" (No that's not the title!) 

_Read... Review... Enjoy..._


	3. Chapter 3 Two Dreams Become Reality

**Chapter 3 – Two Dreams Become Reality**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto... nope... I don't... (crazy huh?)**

"Tomorrow?" Naruto yelled in outrage. Previously, he had wanted nothing more than to leave the village; to go on dangerous missions and prove that he was as great a ninja as he boasted. Three years away from everything he had known, however, had changed that slightly. For the time being he was perfectly content with waking up in his own bed, eating cooked food, and spending time with Sakura.

His outrage was nothing compared to Tsunade's. She rose to her feet and slammed her closed fists onto the table, which cracked under her usually constrained power, "You should be happy you ungrateful little brat! No one has ever been granted this opportunity before," she yelled at Naruto; her voice shaking the walls of her office. As the room became still again she waited for one of the annoying responses that she had become so familiar of from the younger Naruto, but there was only silence. Her face looked amazed as Naruto stood in front of her, standing as if he would accept any command he was told. He nodded; he knew inside himself that this was something that had to be done. Tsunade was caught off guard, without knowing what to think about Naruto's sudden agreement she simply looked down at her almost destroyed desk. She sat down slowly and cautiously as if any sudden movement would cause Naruto to run or, even worse, start yelling again. Tsunade had not planned on his acceptance and had already planned to offer a nice incentive for his participation, "Sakura…" her voice was calm again, too calm; the thunderous screams a stark contrast to the words that escaped her lips.

Sakura stood awestruck for a moment. She been on the receiving end of her master's violent outbursts many times and she had never been able to remain as calm and cool as Naruto just did. "Sakura…" Tsunade repeated in an inpatient tone. Sakura quickly shook herself out of her momentary shock. She pulled another paper from her green folder and placed it on Tsunade's desk, which the Hokage signed and held up to Naruto. "Naruto," she wore a smile of someone offering an unrefusable request, "do you know what this is?" Naruto looked at the paper with curiosity. It took him only a moment to notice that it was the same sheet that Hinata had signed, only with 'Uzumaki Naruto' written along the top and a still empty spot for a signature under the fresh ink of the Hokage's.

Naruto did not flinch; he knew that had he refused to accept his mission that this would have been offered as a bribe. He nodded again, this time with a smirk on his face, "Good…," Tsunade quickly withdrew the paper as if the offer had been suddenly revoked, "Upon your 'successful' completion and return, you shall receive the title of Jonin," the word successful seemed to be stressed as she spoke. Tsunade stood, signifying that their meeting was over. Naruto did not bow or offer any thanks; Tsunade was thankful that he did neither. In this one meeting she had seen enough change in him that she almost wished for just a glimpse of the stubborn, annoying boy she had once known. As she thought back to the moment where she had placed the necklace around Naruto's neck a sincere smile crossed her face, "Naruto…" she spoke to him as both he and Sakura were leaving. The blonde ninja turned to face her, but she did not speak again.

The two looked at each other for only the slightest moment. Naruto smiled and turned to walk out the door, "Don't worry about me." He walked out the door. Sakura looked back at Tsunade in confusion before following.

Naruto walked through the streets of Konoha trying to ignore Sakura's excited questioning; all the while thinking of the path that had been laid out before him. In only one day's time he was to set off for the Village Hidden in the Sand and compete in the third and final part of the Chunnin Exam: the Final Tournament. As Naruto's mind ran through the last few minutes of his life, he had to sit down. His eyes caught the nearest bar and, although he and Sakura could not legally enter, he walked in and 

sat down at the first available table. Sakura followed cautiously and tried to hide a disgusted frown as she sat down across from him. She looked around and recognized no one, which was awkward as she knew most of the village folk. She finally lowered her eyes and spoke the first words that Naruto had really heard since they left the Hokage's office, "Naruto, what are we doing here?" Naruto did not look at her, he only stared down at the table. He simply raised his hand into the air; Sakura waited.

A tall waitress walked to the table, "Can I help you?" the woman asked. Sakura couldn't help but notice that this girl was slightly taller than her but, her eyes examined her with quickness, much wider and much less prettier than she was. A strange smile crossed Sakura's face as an unfamiliar air of superiority struck her. She remained silent while the waitress took Naruto's drink order and walked away.

She had insured that the waitress had not yet walked out of earshot when she spoke in a loud mocking voice, "Can I help you?" Naruto finally looked up from the table, indifferently. He wondered at the smile on Sakura's face, but he said nothing and looked back down. Silence quickly gripped their table. Loud, excited conversations could be heard from the other tables, but Naruto had no wish to speak and Sakura thought it best to remain quiet. After what seemed like only a very short time, Naruto's drink order arrived. A small shot glass and a jar of sake were placed on the table in front of him. "SAKE?" Sakura grabbed her chest with one hand. She had seen her master drink from the bottle so many times, but she knew that they were too young for the adult drink. She looked at the top of Naruto's head, which had not looked up from the table.

His eyes remained down, "Have you ever tasted it, Sakura-chan?" He finally looked at her and their eyes connected for the first time since the Hokage's office. "It tastes very bad," a soft smile replaced the look of indifference on his face, "but it does help calm these types of situations." His movements were not swift, but very deliberate. He took the bottle of sake, as he had seen Jiraya do so many times, and poured some into his shot glass. He put the bottle back into the same space it had previously occupied and picked up his glass. He looked directly at Sakura in a serious manner, "Sakura-chan…" he brought the glass to his lips and emptied the contents into his mouth; the look on his face did not change as the liquid went down his throat. He placed his glass back on the table, "I need you to tell me about Hinata."

"Hin… Hinata?" Sakura was stunned. Naruto drinking sake was enough to shock her, but him asking about Hinata came out of no where and completely confused her. She stared at him as he refilled his shot glass. "Umm…" she tried to act as if she were in complete control of her words, "Well, I don't really know much about what happened. All I know is that as soon as you left, Hinata spent all of her free time training with Kiba and Shino or with Neji."

Naruto lifted his head, the serious look on his face replaced by one of curiosity, "As soon as I left?"

The look on Naruto's face made Sakura think, her face contorted in thought. "Yeah…" It wasn't until that moment that she had ever made even the slightest connection between the start of Hinata's intense training with Naruto leaving the village to train with Jiraya; for some reason this bothered her. Sakura suddenly noticed the silence that was occurring as her mind raced and Naruto waited for her to continue. "Oh," her face turned back to its normal look, "She would often be admitted to the hospital due to injuries from training or from severe over exertion of her body." Naruto's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah, Kiba and Shino would bring her in unconscious and apologize, saying that she wouldn't allow them to hold back on her. The strangest thing was, when she would awake she would suddenly demand to be released."

"What?" Naruto almost spilled the full shot glass that he was holding. He looked down at the glass and then quickly back to Sakura, his voice was loud, "I've never heard Hinata demand anything in her life!" There was a silence as Sakura's face turned almost sad. She was recalling the first day Hinata 

had been admitted to the hospital. Naruto could not stand to see the look on her face. He looked down at his shot glass and quickly lifted it. He swallowed the contents and put the glass on the table, "Sakura-chan?" His voice was much softer than before.

"What? Oh…" Sakura lifted her eyes and tried to wipe the saddened look from her face. "Right… Well, one day Hinata, Shino, and Kiba were all admitted to the hospital. It seemed like just another intense training session gone too long, but when I tried to look at their charts I was told that the Hokage had taken them. I found out that they were all in operating rooms but…" her voice stopped and her last word hung in the air. Sakura turned her face away from Naruto, her eyes seemed locked onto a blurry figure somewhere in the distance.

Naruto's eyes was focused solely on Sakura's lips, as she turned away his eyes followed, "And…" he asked. He was unaware that he was inches off his seat, leaning in towards Sakura's lips.

"And…" Sakura did not turn her head and her eyelids were half way closed, as if she were fighting to keep them open, "and I don't know… All I know is that ANBU Black Ops were positioned at all of their rooms and they would not let me in. The only ones who knew what happened in those rooms were Tsunade-sama and Shizune-sama. No one would tell me anything!" Her voice was loud but apologetic. Naruto fell back into his seat as Sakura's face turned to his, her voice much lower than before, "A few days later, everyone was released and it was announced that Hinata was the sole heir of the Hyuuga clan."

"WHAT?" Naruto grabbed the jug of sake and refilled his shot glass; he quickly swallowed his drink. He lifted his eyes to Sakura, his eyelids were not open fully, "Isn't Hinata's father an ass hole to her? He would never do that!" His voice filled the entire bar and several people stopped their conversations and turned their heads to look at him. Naruto could hear his own voice echo off the walls of the bar and was instantly embarrassed by the unwanted attention. He quickly lowered his voice. "Why would he do that?" He spoke in a whisper; almost cowering in his seat.

Sakura lowered her eyes to the table. Although she was really confused about anything done by or connected to Hinata in the past three years, her being named heir of the Hyuuga clan was the most awkward. The only thing she really knew about that day was that Hiashi Hyuuga gave no reason for the monumental announcement, and that since that day Hinata has been a completely different person. "I don't know…" she spoke as much to the table as she did to Naruto. "But she's changed…" She lifted her face to meet Naruto's; her eyes looked confused.

As Naruto looked into Sakura's eyes his mind couldn't help but think of Hinata. His thoughts went back to only a little while ago when Hinata stood straight and proud only meters away from him. He could see it, the change. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was definitely something strangely different about her. He knew that it wasn't the dramatic change in her physical appearance or attitude that seemed so awkward; it was just something he couldn't quite decipher. As the image of Hinata disappeared and the scenery of the dark bar returned, Naruto's eyes had yet to move from Sakura's. "Sakura-chan… I'm sorry," he stood up and laid some money onto the table before turning his back to her, "I have to go…"

He took only two steps forward before Sakura yelled out, "What? Don't leave me!" She was caught off guard by Naruto's sudden urge to leave and had not meant to yell out. Naruto turned his head slightly, Sakura was embarrassed by her outburst, "I mean… um… I mean I'll go with you." She quickly got up and walked with Naruto out of the bar. As they left, the sunlight was like a welcomed awakening to Sakura. Out of that dirty bar she felt like a new person, full of energy, "Anything you wanna do?" She turned to Naruto, her words and her face were anxious.

Naruto had already turned and started walking down the road towards his apartment, his eyes were on the floor in front of him. He spoke to his feet and said the first words he could think of, "No… I need to rest up for the mission. Good bye, Sakura-chan."

Sakura stood very still for a moment, surprised. She watched Naruto walk a few steps away before finally speaking, "Oh… yeah… well I need to get back to…" She stopped. She was sure that Naruto was already too far away to hear her voice. She felt somewhat disappointed, the afternoon had not turned out as she had expected. "Well what did you expect?" she heard herself ask out loud. Suddenly, thoughts of a private lunch and the two friends laughing together ran through her head. She closed her eyes and indulged the images. As her mind played out what she had truly hoped for that afternoon she smiled, but almost instantly her eyes shot open; at the end of the scene in her head Naruto had pulled her into his arms for a deep, passionate kiss, and she did not resist. Her eyes opened wide and stared out towards the small figure that was Naruto in the distance.

Naruto needed to be alone, but instead of returning home he walked, head down, to his most private spot: the mountain overlooking the village. There was a spot, just above the head of the Fourth Hokage that had always made Naruto feel like he could overcome any obstacle put before him. Although it had been years since he had been up there, it was just as he remembered it. As he sat down he could see the entire village and his head was filled that once familiar thought from his younger days: 'This must be how it feels to be Hokage, looking over the village, ready to die to protect his people.' The thought used to fill his mind with a sense of hope, but as he looked out over the village his thoughts quickly returned to Hinata.

Naruto sat for hours quietly replaying the scene from the Hokage's office in his head and remembering what Sakura had told him. His eyes closed, he would reach out for Hinata, but she would never so much as turn her head. She had changed, and he knew that he had to find out what had happened during his absence. As he sat thinking, he finally noticed that the sun had set long ago and the moon was high in the sky. Naruto stood up and looked over the village one last time, but Hinata was still all he could think of. He yelled out as loud as he could, "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!" He waited in vain for a response; there was nothing but the expected silence. Just as Naruto was about to turn around and head down the mountain he heard the sound of several small rocks shifting behind him. He quickly turned; there was nothing. He paused and stared into the darkness. His eyes strained for a glimpse of the cause of the noise. As his eyes narrowed he though he could see two dark balls floating in the air. They seemed to be darker than the night's shadow and shined in the moonlight, but before Naruto could make out what he thought he saw, they were gone. He shrugged his shoulders and headed back down the mountain to his apartment.

Naruto awoke in the morning completely refreshed. As he went through his morning routine: wake up, go back to sleep, wake up again, shower, and shave, he had completely forgotten the previous night and his strange obsession for Hinata. All that he could think of this morning was leaving the village and being alone with Sakura. 'This may be your chance,' he told himself as he packed for the mission and quickly left his apartment.

"Naruto, you're late!" Sakura looked upset as she yelled at him, but inside she was relieved. Naruto wasn't late, he was actually early, but Sakura had been waiting at the village gates for nearly an hour. The previous night, after Naruto left her standing in front of the dirty bar feeling more awkward than she had ever felt, she couldn't stop herself from thinking that he wouldn't show up in the morning; that being alone with her was something he didn't want. With Naruto standing in front of her, her worries disappeared.

A strange smile crossed Naruto's face. He knew that he wasn't late, but he also knew Sakura's temper and he didn't want to start the day with Sakura smashing his face in, "Um… I'm sorry Sakura-chan."

She felt embarrassed for yelling at Naruto for her own insecurities and her face started to turn pink. "Well…" her voice was still loud but it suddenly lost its intensity, "let's get going…" She turned away from Naruto and started to walk out of the village; Naruto followed quietly. After only a few moments Sakura's face returned to its normal color and she felt confident enough to face Naruto, "Naruto, the final tournament starts tomorrow at noon, so we don't have time to walk. We should be able to travel far enough today to have a good night sleep tonight and walk the remainder of the way tomorrow morning." Naruto understood and simply nodded. The two jumped into the trees and sprinted along their journey.

Nightfall seemed to come quickly. The two traveled for the entire day, neither spoke a word. Sakura had thought that being with Naruto for such a long period of time without speaking was awkward, but every time she looked over to him with the intention of speaking she saw a look on his face that made her turn away. The look on Naruto's face was not a mean or angry one, it was a look of enjoyment. Naruto's only thoughts were of fighting in front of a huge crowd as he did years ago, and proving to people that he was truly a strong ninja; and this feeling made him feel like nothing could possibly go wrong.

They had long left the forest and the well defined path they had been traveling along; ahead a much more sandy terrain. Their pace slowed to a walk as the grass below their feet was hidden more and more. Sakura had traveled this path several times before at Tsunade's request so she knew the path well. When she recognized the area where Tsunade had said they should stop for the night she knew she had no choice but to break the silence. Sakura took one of her stolen glances towards Naruto's smiling face, "Naruto, we can rest around here." She turned off the path to the left and walked for a few silent minutes, Naruto followed without question.

Soon they had reached their destination: a small village with only three buildings and about two dozen small houses scattered around. There was only one lamp post lit in the dark night and it seemed to be situated at the center of the village; no one could be seen walking through the very dimly lit streets. The entire scene seemed very creepy to Naruto, but Sakura casually walked through the streets towards the second building. She walked through the creaky doors and Naruto could barely read the sign "Hotel" above the entrance before he followed.

Naruto had hardly noticed that they had entered the main room of the hotel as it was just as dimly lit and populated as the streets of the village. The small room was empty except for a small counter where only the head of an old lady sitting behind could be seen; she did not seem to notice them enter and continued humming along to a song coming from somewhere behind the counter. The entire room had an old, musty smell to it.

Naruto stood at the entrance and Sakura walked up to the old lady. She whispered something inaudible to the lady; she replied by stopping her humming and reaching under the counter. The old lady threw a key down on the counter, "Number 9." Sakura motioned for Naruto to follow her through a dark hallway that he had not noticed until then. When they both entered the hallway the old lady returned to her humming.

Sakura found room 9 and opened the door. She entered the dark room followed by Naruto, who instantly noticed that there was only one large bed in the corner of the small room, "Um Sakura-chan…" Naruto's voice seemed worried, but his thoughts were hopeful. A sudden flash of Sakura and him on the bed in a passionate, heated position was instantly burned into his mind. 'This may be your chance.' His first thought of the day ran through his head again.

Sakura did not seem to notice the difference in Naruto's voice as she swept through the room and lit the candles that were situated at the three remaining corners of the room. "What is it Naruto?" Sakura asked casually as she walked towards the room's sole bed, placed her pack on the floor, and sat down. Sakura tried to keep her voice relaxed, but she too had instantly noticed the room's amenities and was nervous about the situation they were in. Still, her eyes were set on Naruto as he walked into the room.

Naruto placed his pack in one of the corners and looked around the room; anything to keep his eyes off of Sakura. The image of them two kept reappearing wherever he looked and he feared that seeing the real Sakura would just be too much. He sat down in a large empty space and lay back on the floor. 'This is where I have to sleep tonight,' he thought. In all his life he had never wanted Sakura so much, and now was his best opportunity. But the thought of her eminent rejection was just too great, and he feared that he would lose one of the best friends he had ever had; again. 'There's no way she could be thinking the same thing,' he thought to himself as he resigned his body to the stiffness of the floor.

Sakura could not help but feel a slight sense of disappointment as Naruto lay on the floor. 'Why do I feel this?' she asked herself. Several thoughts seemed to run thought her mind at once: Naruto was wrapped in bandages as they walked around the Konoha hospital; then he was standing, half naked, in his doorway; then he was holding her close and his lips were pressed gently on hers. It was lucky that Naruto was not looking at her because her eyes grew very wide, 'Is that what I really want?' Of all the answers she could think of, "no" never ran through her mind. She knew that Naruto had liked her as a kid, but that was long ago and things change. She decided then and there that she had to find out just how much Naruto's feelings for her had changed.

The room was silent. Naruto could not stop the images that were running though his head and making his body temperature rise, and Sakura could not tell herself that she did not want Naruto. Sakura made her first move, "Naruto what are you doing?" She stood up and reached a hand out to him, "You have a very hard day ahead of you tomorrow. The floor is no place to sleep, and besides, the bed is big enough for both of us." She did well to hide the desperation in her voice.

Naruto stared up at her hand. 'The same bed as Sakura?' The image ran through his head once more, and as his hand raised to hers his hopes rose too. "You're right Sakura," he grabbed her hand and got to his feet. The two stood there, Naruto unaware of what to do, and Sakura with her mind made up and looking to make her next move.

Naruto could sense that something weird was going on, but he quickly thought, 'She just wants you to be rested for tomorrow. She's just being a good friend.' In that one moment, every thought of him and Sakura being together was doused. He turned away and decided it was best if he just got ready to sleep and forgot the reoccurring images. All three candles were still lit and with him facing away from her, Sakura watched as a well lit Naruto stripped down to his boxers before turning back to face her. Sakura knew she should look away, but as Naruto's eyes looked to hers, her eyes were still focused on his body; a fire had been lit deep inside of her. She slowly looked up to his eyes and an embarrassed smile crossed her face. Naruto did not seem to notice.

Without a word, Naruto walked around the room and blew out the three candles; all images of the two wiped from his mind. Sakura's eyes watched through the darkness as he moved from the final extinguished candle to sit on the bed; she remained standing in the center of the room. The room was now almost pitch black except for the little bit of moon light shining in from the one covered window in the corner. Naruto looked at Sakura curiously; he was completely oblivious to what was running though her head. Although he could only see the outline of her body, he noticed that she had yet to move.

Sakura thought she had lost it. The visions of Naruto she had in her mind were nothing to seeing him with her own eyes, and the thoughts of them two together were nothing to what she could make happen tonight. She remained standing, unmoved; her mind set. "Naruto…" Sakura spoke out in such a weak and fragile tone that it caught Naruto off guard. He tried to respond, but couldn't. His eyes had adjusted enough in the darkness that he could make out Sakura's features. He watched as Sakura's hand reached up to the zipper of her dress and slowly pulled it all the down. The dress seemed to peel off of her body and fall down to the floor. Sakura knew that this is what she really wanted, and there was no going back.

Naruto was completely stunned. He sat transfixed as Sakura slowly and seductively stripped down to nothing and stood naked in the center of the room; as if waiting for him. Naruto thought he was dreaming, but he knew that even in his dreams this would never happen. Every urge that he had fought this night had suddenly sprung back into his mind. He wanted to get up, to grab her, but he remained still, unsure of what he should do.

By the look on his face, Sakura knew that her risk had paid off. She slowly walked over to the bed; she had practiced this walk alone many times before. Naruto watched the soft light hit the curves of her body as her hips moved towards him. "Naruto, you used to really like me right?" Her voice was as soft and air-like as she could make it; he could only nod. He had barely heard the words, and even if his answer wasn't really 'yes' there was no way he was going to say so. Sakura smiled as she watched Naruto's head move without moving his eyes from her body. She stopped only inches in front of him. With Sakura's naked body within arms reach, Naruto's mind seemed unstable. Every feeling, every urge, every desire he had ever had for the woman standing in front of him seemed to run through his head all at once. It all stopped in once instant as Sakura took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck. She pulled herself on top of his lap and straddled him as his hands instinctively reached out to grab her waist.

Although Naruto had dreamed of this for many years, he never really knew what he would do in this situation. Sakura's full breasts were only inches from his face and the feel of her skin was softer than he could ever imagine. Unconsciously, Naruto's hands slipped down from Sakura's waist and he cupped her butt with both hands. It felt so round and smooth; he gave it a soft squeeze. Sakura let out a quiet gasp and Naruto's eyes suddenly shot up to hers. Naruto was scared that he had somehow crossed the line, but Sakura's face looked down at his with a slightly curled smile. "I know you did, Naruto. But…" her voice seemed to become more innocent, almost needy, "what about now?" Her eyes told him that she already knew the answer.

The scene was too much for Naruto. He stopped thinking and let his body take over. His right hand reached behind Sakura's neck and pulled her lips into his. He had waited for their lips to touch for so long that he felt that this one moment would be enough to satisfy him completely. His body felt numb; the only sensation he could feel was Sakura's skin on his fingertips and her lips pressed against his.

Sakura had never kissed anyone like this before, and although she had made up her mind about tonight, she had never expected how passionate she would feel. She started to become light-headed, but suddenly her eyes popped open. Naruto lifted her body up and with one motion turned her and layed her on the bed. Suddenly she became very scared.

Naruto's eyes had become adjusted to the little light of the room and he watched as Sakura's coy smile turned into a look of fear; he instantly understood why. "Sakura-chan, have you done this before?" She knew that his voice was not mocking, but understanding and caring. Still, Sakura could not help but look embarrassed as she shook her head. Naruto only smiled softly, "Don't worry…" These words were the last spoken all night.

The morning arrived very quickly. Sakura had been awake for nearly a half hour watching Naruto sleep with her head lying on his chest. She woke him with a kiss, "Wake up Naruto …"

He stirred and slowly opened his eyes; a smile forming on his lips, "Good morning, Sakura-chan…" The images of what might have been were gone from both their minds; replaced by images of what had actually occurred. Naruto had been very gentle with Sakura, allowing her to become accustomed to something foreign to her; something he had wanted for a very long time. Sakura did not remember the initial pain; imbed in her thoughts were the feeling of Naruto lips on her neck and his fingers on her body. The night had been one that neither would forget.

The two laid in bed with each other for another half hour before getting up. Their next stop: the Village Hidden in the Sand.

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Hope you enjoyed chapter 3... it took a while to squeeze as little juice out of that lemon as possible (I hope you understand the metaphor)...

Chapter 4 will have some good fighting... at least 2 maybe 3 of the Chunnin finals fights...

and yes this will eventually be NaruHina so don't worry... it will be starting soon... or has it already started? Hmmm... interesting...


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